Hope
by Tori9226
Summary: Cassian's point of view, starting from the moment he wakes up in the data vault. ***ROUGE ONE SPOILERS*** (Cassian still isn't a character option? But this is Cassian x Jyn)


Still not over the Rogue One Feels, so more writing!  
I don't own Star Wars. Though if they need any extra help on the next set, I volunteer. :D

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The first thing Cassian Andor was aware of was the sharp pain in his back. As he opened his eyes, the data vault swam into focus. In the distance, he could hear the sounds of war. The fight wasn't over. He pushed himself into a sitting positing, fighting back the pain that was radiating through his spine. He picked up his blaster that had landed beside him and slid it into his holster. Using the railing, he pulled himself the rest of the way up, curing in pain the moment he put pressure on his leg. Broken. This was going to be fun. If they survived this hell, he would spend some time in one of those damn tanks. He hated those things.

Cassian pushed the pain from his mind. He needed to find Jyn. He needed to know she was safe. Using the rail for support, he limped along until he found an access door. The corridor was empty; the Stormtroopers must've moved on, assuming he was dead. Cassian was able to stumble into an elevator. He punched in his destination as the doors closed, fighting the urge to collapse. _No_ , he willed his body. Not now. He needed to find Jyn.

The ride up felt like an eternity, though in reality it probably only took less than a minute. The doors opened and light flooded in. The sounds of battle were louder now. Screams and the _boom_ of blaster cannons being fired echoed all around him. The scent of seawater was overwhelmed by leaking fuel and smoke. He focused his attention on one sound. One voice allowed him to release the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

"I'm Jyn Erso."

 _Thank god_ , he relaxed for a fraction of a second. Orson Krennic had a blaster pointed at her head. _Keep him talking,_ he begged silently. Slowly, he was able to grasp his blaster. Using a structural column for support, he took aim. His hands were shaking. He tried to take a deep breath to steady himself, but that only brought a sharp pain to his side. Biting his lip to keep from cursing in pain again, he kept as steady as he could. One shot, that's all it would take. It might not kill Krennic, but it would give them the time to transmit the message.

The bolt connected with Krennic's shoulder, and he crumbled to the metal floor. Jyn looked up – was that relief washing over her face? With a quick glance at Krennic she stumbled over to the transmitter. He gave her a faint smile, keeping the blaster pointed at the body on the floor. Her bloodied fingers danced across the controls and finally, the message was out. He didn't dare glance at her, he kept his eyes on Krennic. She stumbled to his side, smiling. _We did it_ , he thought. He finally let himself glance over at her, just as she turned her focus to Krennic's body. Jyn started toward him, but Cassian caught her waist.

"No, Jyn. Don't," He pulled her against him, and despite the pain in his arm, was able to keep her there. "He'll be dead soon anyway. Leave him."

Her muscles relaxed, and she leaned into his side. She was injured too. Cassian realized their chances of survival were shrinking by the second. He had known this was a suicide mission; any soldier knew a mission like this meant death. But deep inside, he'd held onto a sliver of hope that they'd make it out of here alive and be able to help take down the Empire and their damn Death Star. Now, as he held Jyn close, those chances were slipping away. He could barely walk, and it appeared that she was only slightly better off than he was. He lost communication with their escape when he fell. He wasn't even sure if Bodhi was still alive, let alone the rest of their crew. He pushed the thought from his mind. He needed to focus.

He draped an arm across Jyn's shoulders, as she wrapped an arm around his waist. Slowly, they made their way back to the elevator.

"Do you think anybody is listening?" he asked.

"I do," she smiled. "Somebody is out there."

Once in the elevator, he rested against the wall while she entered their destination. Once she turned to face him he could see the fear in her eyes too. He didn't know what he was feeling. He'd known her for such a short time. This couldn't be love, could it? What was she feeling? Why was this even crossing his mind when they were so close to dying? Screw it. It was worth the risk. He grabbed her waist and pulled her body against his once again, crashing his lips against hers. He waited for her to push him away, but instead she was kissing him back, clutching the front of his shirt.

"Thank you," he rested his forehead against hers.

"For what?"

"Having hope."


End file.
